Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing in the Automotive Industry

Traditional vs digital marketing

Marketing is a key component of running a successful business. When it comes to your automotive business, you’ll need to let people know about your inventory and what services you offer. So, what’s the best way to do that? Should you rely on traditional marketing, or invest in a dynamic digital marketing campaign?

Aspen Automotive can help you decide. By looking at digital marketing vs. traditional marketing in the automotive industry, we’ll explore how each approach can benefit your business and return a solid return on investment (ROI).

What Is Traditional Marketing?

Traditional MarketingBefore we figure out which strategy is right for your automotive business, let’s look at the differences between traditional and digital marketing. Traditional marketing is any kind of marketing that happens offline. Some forms of traditional marketing that you’re probably familiar with include:

  • Direct Mail Marketing
  • Billboards
  • TV and Radio Ads
  • Print Ads (i.e., Magazines and Newspapers)
  • Business Cards

While some of these methods may seem a bit old-fashioned, they are just as tried and true as ever. For example, a senior citizen may not have a smartphone, but they still receive mail, drive by billboards, and read the newspaper.

Aspen Automotive specializes in direct mail marketing, so we know just how effective it can be. We can help you build a quality mailing list and dynamic mailers that can build brand awareness and drive traffic to your business.


What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital MarketingSince you’re reading this online, you likely have some experience with digital marketing. Digital marketing is any marketing that happens online. Some well-known forms of digital marketing include:

  • Email Marketing
  • Sponsored Posts
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Inbound Content Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Whether you have a Facebook account, you check your email regularly, or you’ve Googled something and read a blog to find the answer, you’ve encountered some form of digital marketing.

The upside of digital marketing is that you can reach people anywhere at any time. Another key element of digital is that you can track data and see what worked, what didn’t, and you can build your future campaigns based on that information.

Using Traditional & Digital Marketing Together

traditional and digital marketingSo, now that we have a better understanding of traditional marketing and digital marketing, which one is right for you and your automotive business? The answer is…both!

The smartest marketing strategy is to incorporate both traditional marketing and digital marketing. After all, both approaches can build brand awareness and draw consumers to your business. That’s why one of the best ways to boost your ROI is by designing a direct mail marketing campaign that connects people to your digital marketing.

Up to 90 percent of the mail that people receive gets opened, while only 20 to 30 percent of emails are actually read.i That gives mailers a much better chance of grabbing the reader’s attention and not getting lost in the shuffle.

With that kind of exposure, Aspen Automotive can help you design a mailing campaign that brings people to your website, landing page, or to exclusive offers using marketing tools such as:

  • QR Codes
  • Personalized URLs (PURLs)

Both are easy to include in your mailers and quick and convenient to scan, and they can bridge the gap between traditional and digital marketing. Plus, by tying your digital campaign to a traditional marketing campaign like direct mail, Epsilon can use data solutions to track your results and see what was most effective.

Discover More About Traditional & Digital Marketing in the Automotive Industry

When it comes to digital marketing vs. traditional marketing in the automotive industry, the only clear winner is to incorporate both into your campaign strategy. Aspen Automotive and Epsilon have the experience and industry know-how to help you build a strategy that allows both sides to complement each other perfectly. Contact us to learn more and get started!